Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1887-03-31
BoHsMrA MANOR.

ere eermane to them. archaeological, an
tiquarian and genealogical, ARE of live
import to Wilmington was evidtnred at
the meeting nf the Delaware Bi-tnrieal
s. ole Monday night week. The room was
crowded with representative citizens who
had come to LIS :en to the Rev. O. p.
Mallery upon the subject of Bohemia
Manor, Its Families, Homes and Graves
Before introducing the speaker, DR.. Bush,
who presided read letter from Secretary
Of State Bayard, which referred In terms
OF high encomiuIn to the lecturers at
tainments In local historical research, and
also another from Daniel ELMER of New
York bearing upon the same point.
Mr.. Mallery in introducing the subject
recognized the possibility that many of
his audience were interested in the CUES
tons he intended touching upon. lie said
Bohemia Manor has a deep and abiding
interest to all who have had any eonnec
tion with its traditions. In 1882 Charles
/. gave Lord Baltimore the territory then
called Maryland. Cecil Calvert inherited
the title and territory. Each successive
proprietor laid claim not alone to Mary
land ss it is known now but to all east 10
New Jersey. Peter Stuyvesant on the
part of Holland objected to this whole.
sale claira and sent q commission COM
posed of Augustine Herman and Resolved
Jordan to arrange matters with the Eng
lish proprietor. The embassy left New
York, passed through Delaware and
met there by the governor
Herman probably assembled the Bohemia
Al. al, ...v-kxf s.f
which he subsequently became prop ietor.
1t IL not quite cie,lr how Augustine Her.
man b. came lard of the manor but 1t is
stated that he had in his possession a
map of tho surrounding country which
both Governor Stuyvesant and Lord
Baltimore were both anxious to be come
possess, 4 of. Subsequently, however,
the governor of Maryland got the map
and Augustine Herman became posEessol
of 10000 acres of land in Cecil county
to which demesne he gave the name OF
Bohemia Manor in honor of his native
country. Augustine Herman was born ai
Prague, in Bohemia. in 1921. He came
to New York in 1888. In 1647 he was up.
pointed by the director Of the New
Netherlands an adviser to the govern.
ment. Herman WAS man of fine parts
shrewd merchant and in addition was
an expert surveyor. 1t is said he was the
first to commence tobacco planting in
Maryland. When In New York
he lived on Pearl street. The
quarrel referred to between Stuy.
vesant and Herman eliminated In
the latter's settlement at Bohemia Manor
in 1860, through a grant made by Lord
Baltimore. In 1861 he transferred his
family from New York. He established
village, surrounding himself with al
old manorial customs and usages. The
estate was entailed. He had been mar
ried at Utrecht, Holland, in 1850. Ht
built fine mansion house which stood
for $50 years. OF the village or mansion
there is hardly vestige left now. OF the
latter only few bricks lie scattered
around, and these, with the cellar lines
are all that remain to indicate what once
existed. He was extremely wealthy, kept
open house, and lived in baronial style.
The faint outlines of the deer park may
be traced by those who care to investi.
gate. The walls of the house were COW
cred with paintings, family portraits.
Among his pictures was one of famous
horse upon which Herman rode to New
York. When the horse died, 80 tradition
says, it was buried in the family grave.
yard. DR.. Spotswood of New Castle, told
the lecturer that during his time the
legend of the riders marvellous return
from the dangers that beset Herman in
| New York and the resppeala. OF tn,
horse and rider OF New Castle on theii
way to Bohemia Manor existed as ira
| dition. He died at the age of &C. DurinE
his lifetime he had had large gra weston,
made, inscribed with his name, place o.
nativity and date of birth. This was SCI
| up at his grave without further addition
his ungrateful children not going to th,
trouble TO finish the inscription. The
speaker saw the stone in that condition
Richard Bassett is in possession of the
portraits and the picture of the horse
| J. II. O. Oldham OF this county is In pos
session of copies. From his portrai
| Augustine Herman shows German type
| of face. He had made every endeavol
to perpetuate his name, had calleC
| villages, streams and localities after him
self. To-day there is not in the whole O
the region anything to indicate the name
| of the old proprietor. The late Richard
Bassett Bayard had asked tn,
lecturer what it would cost t,
preserve the old gravestone. Th,
latter had inquired of Wood & Co
of Philadelphia, and had ince pied sc me
thing in that direction, but MIR. Baysrd'
death intervening nothing had hetl
accomplished. The speaker suggested
the propriety of the Historical Societ,
taking the matter in hand. The elies
son of Augustine Herman was married t
Elizabeth Won Rodenburgh, daughter O
the governor of Curacao. Odessa got it
name from fancied resemblance 10 III
great Russian Black Sea port. In th
olden time it was Cautweil's Bridge,
central trading post, between the Chesa
peake and Delaware bays, through whicl
all teams passed on the road to Philadel
phia. The last acknowledged lord of th
manor was Augustine Herman Henzel
born January 28tb, 1861. At 81 years h
was thrown from his horse and killed.
brother, Josie Henzer, was incspacitate
through idiocy. A third child daughte
married Colonel E. Oldham Of Genera
Greene's revolutionary army. He Tough
at Eutaw Springs and at Brandywine. Il
died in 1908, AZ years old. Thre
daughters survived to whom the fathe
bequeathed each neck of land. One
Mariana, married Mr.. Jenninge o
England, whose daughter, again, marrie'
John Randolph of Virginia. A secon,
daughter of Colonel Oldham married
Mr.. Thompson, who lived to the extfem
age of 109 years, and had son who live,
l05 years. Some ancient tombstones ar
found near the Bethel Church. anon
them that Of Joshua Clayton, father o
Chief Justice Thomas Clayton. In thi
place Bishop Asbury preached. A sec
called the Labadists, something akin il
religious customs TO the Shakers puI
chased tract of 5000 acres from th
Bohemian Manor in 1898 Samuel Bay
ard got share also. Solomon Holse,
was another purchaser of land. Di
Petrus Sitter, Of Wesel, an infiuentia
member of the Labadists, died 1929. Hi
brother, Hendrick was his heir and tn
latter is the ancestor OF all the Sliters O
Bohemia Manor. Others of the connec
tions by marriage of the Bohemia
Manor family were DR.. Petrus yc
shell and Anthony M. Higgins. Tn
speaker said there were different ascribe
origins of the Bayard family. One wa
from Grenoble in Dnuphiny. During th
Huguenot wars Bayard went from III
last mentioned place to Holland nm
there married a Stuyvesant. He came /
America in 1917. II could not be said
however, whether he was from Dauphin
or from Lapguedoc. The Rev. Balthaza
Bayard also went 20 Holland duriOg ii
religious wars. His name is found upo
the records of the University of Parii
Petrus Bayard received the title to Bon
bay Hook from Governor Andros. Il
had been acquainted with the Labadisi
abroad, he cast in his lot with them al
became one of their sect. He died
New York in 1879. His eldest son, Samu'